This disclosure is related to systems, methods, apparatuses, and techniques for generating water using waste heat. In certain embodiments, a system includes a water generating unit and a waste-heat-generating-system. The water generating unit can be configured to generate the water and comprises a desiccation device and a condenser coupled to the desiccation device. The waste-heat-generating-system can generate the waste heat when operating or is use. The water generating unit can be configured to use waste heat generated by the waste-heat-generating-system to generate the water.

Some embodiments of the disclosure correspond to, for example, a system for scrubbing a mixture of gases and/or contaminants from indoor air from an enclosed space to remove at least one gas and/or contaminant from the mixture of gases and/or contaminants. The system may include one or more adsorbent materials configured to be cycled between adsorption and regeneration of at least one of gas and/or contaminant from the mixture of gases and/or contaminants via a temperature swing adsorption cycle (for example), regeneration means configured to regenerate one or more adsorbent materials. The regeneration means may be configured at a regeneration temperature to regenerate the one or more adsorbent materials.

A highly efficient combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system is capable of providing 100% utilization of an energy generator used by the system by distributing thermal and electrical outputs of the energy generator to loads and/or other storage apparatuses. The CCHP system includes an energy generator, which can be a fuel cell and a waste heat recovery unit that assists in recovering thermal energy from the energy generator and returning it to the energy generator, and/or providing it to a thermal load, or a storage as needed or desired.

A packed bed for a heat exchanger may comprise a frame and a first fin layer disposed within the frame. A second fin layer may be disposed within the frame. A first perforated sheet may be disposed between the first fin layer and the second fin layer. A sorbent material may be disposed within a volume of at least one of the first fin layer or the second fin layer.

Described herein are various embodiments of an oxygen concentrator system. In some embodiments, oxygen concentrator system includes one or more components that improve the useful lifetime of gas separation adsorbents.

A method of forming a product for separating gases includes forming a three-dimensional ceramic support, heating the three-dimensional ceramic support at a temperature for an effective duration of time to result in the conductive ceramic material having a plurality of intra-material pores, and incorporating a sorbent additive into the intra-material pores of the conductive ceramic material. Moreover, the three-dimensional ceramic support includes an electrically conductive ceramic material configured for joule heating.

A carbon capture device comprising a flue gas input, a flue gas output, a carbon adsorption zone that is in fluid communication with the flue gas input and in fluid communication with the flue gas output, where a first flue gas communication channel comprises the carbon adsorption zone, where the first flue gas communication channel comprises a first fluid input and a first fluid output, and the carbon adsorption zone comprises a first CO.sub.2 sorbent material positioned downstream from the first fluid input and upstream to/of the first fluid output, where the first fluid input is in fluid communication with the flue gas input, and where the flue gas is directed past the CO.sub.2 sorbent material and towards the first fluid output, where the first fluid output is in fluid communication with the flue gas output, a carbon desorption zone, where the carbon desorption zone comprises a second CO.sub.2 sorbent material, and an actuation device where the actuation device is configured to transport carbon-rich first CO.sub.2 sorbent material from the carbon adsorption zone to the carbon desorption zone and to transport carbon-lean second CO.sub.2 sorbent material from the carbon desorption zone to the carbon adsorption zone.

Water generation systems and methods of generating water from air are disclosed herein. Systems for generating water from air can comprise a solar thermal unit comprising a hygroscopic material, composite or assembly configured to capture water vapor from air during a loading cycle and release water vapor to a working fluid during an unloading cycle. Water generation systems can further include a condenser for condensing water vapor from the working fluid to produce water. Methods for generating water from air disclosed herein can comprise receiving a system operational parameter from a loading and/or unloading cycle. Methods of operation can also include determining a loading and/or unloading system operational setpoint based on the system operational parameter. During a loading cycle, the method includes flowing ambient air through the hygroscopic material, composite or assembly to capture water vapor from air.

Solar thermal panel (1) for producing water, comprising a frame (2), a reflective solar concentration surface (3), a heat exchanger (10) which is positioned at the solar focusing axis (A) and comprising a container (11) comprising an ambient humidity desiccator material (11a), at least one opening (12), a first valve (13) which is positioned at the at least one opening (12) and selectively actuatable by moving from an open configuration to a closed configuration so as to selectively and reversibly allow the fluid-dynamic connection between the desiccator material (11a) and surrounding ambient air.

A packed bed for a heat exchanger may comprise a frame and a first fin layer disposed within the frame. A second fin layer may be disposed within the frame. A first perforated sheet may be disposed between the first fin layer and the second fin layer. A sorbent material may be disposed within a volume of at least one of the first fin layer or the second fin layer.